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This idiot has a blog, "The Comeback Town" on al.com. This guy has been playing the "Oh poor Dr. Watts" game even before Watts was known to have hired a PR firm, though he admit in another post that UAB football was cut because the BOT wanted it cut.

Here are two examples of his blog posts. Warning: Have your barf bag handy.

http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/12/...ed_stories

http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/12/...ed_stories

He is bammer

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(12-15-2014 11:20 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  This idiot has a blog, "The Comeback Town" on al.com. This guy has been playing the "Oh poor Dr. Watts" game even before Watts was known to have hired a PR firm, though he admit in another post that UAB football was cut because the BOT wanted it cut.

Here are two examples of his blog posts. Warning: Have your barf bag handy.

http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/12/...ed_stories

http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/12/...ed_stories

Nope, not even giving him the clicks.

He owns a collection agency called AmSher that has among its clients: UAB Kirklin Clinic. Which reports to guess who?

He also owns a PR firm (busy guy, it seems). Given the buffoonery of Watts' public performance, maybe he hired this idiot.

Another candidate for the award.

If these guys only knew 10% of the real truth and were willing to write honestly about that truth then this problem would already be solved.

(12-16-2014 01:01 AM)BlazerRob Wrote:  Another candidate for the award.

This thread was worth it only for that graphic. Good stuff.

I thought it had been decided that there was no proof he hired a PR firm.

"known to have hired a PR firm" is still unknown

I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

When he wrote his last column I sent him a scorcher of a letter, and to his credit he did respond. He didn't respond to my reply disputing his, but he did at least that much. I've liked Sher in the past, but on this one we'll never agree. Maybe if the NCAA gave the Tide the Death Penalty he'd begin to understand, but that will never happen.

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 01:24 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  I thought it had been decided that there was no proof he hired a PR firm.

"known to have hired a PR firm" is still unknown

I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

I didn't make any personal attacks against him. Why are you replying to me?

(12-16-2014 08:59 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 01:24 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  I thought it had been decided that there was no proof he hired a PR firm.

"known to have hired a PR firm" is still unknown

I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

I didn't make any personal attacks against him. Why are you replying to me?

You're correct, Timothy I apologize. Somehow I hit quote when I went to reply and you were the last message before I posted. I'll try to fix it.

Thank you for your positive comments and love for our Blazers!

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

+1
Thank you for this response. I worked for David for 8 years. While we may not always agree, there is no doubting his love for and commitment to the City of Birmingham. He is also a fine individual as is his entire family. While we may disagree with his opinions, I agree we should not attack someone for sharing a differing opinion than we hold.
#BlazerPride

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

^What he said^

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't have any problems with Mr. Sher. I have seen his pieces before on al.com, and I think he actually does try to point out some of the finer things about the city. I thought he was right on some things, and I thought he was wrong about some stuff. The important thing is that he was, at the very least, trying, in his own way, to address the criticism directed at a city that was better than what people tended to believe.

What I do understand is that he was trying to be objective. Someone needed to seek and emphasize the better attributes of Dr. Watts' character simply because someone had to speak up for the other perspective. His actions are not one of a PR firm, but of someone that is just striving to ensure the only things on the site concerning Dr. Watts isn't negative. It's just when you point out some of the people quoted as backing him, you can't just neglect that these same people have ties to him or resigned in light of wrongdoing.

Of course, I don't know him but I think he's alright. It's just I don't know what's been going on with his last few posts.

I'm sure Sher is a good man. But on this issue, he's as lost as Watts.

http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/12/...andar.html

"The Birmingham News and al.com repeatedly published one-sided inflammatory videos and articles stroking the flames of discontent by UAB football supporters [...] No wonder the public turned with a vengeance against Dr. Watts. Dr. Watts didn't have a chance."

Watts doesn't have a chance because of what he did, not because of what AL.com published.

And it's his willingness to defend the indefensible that has eroded so much of Sher's credibility and goodwill. But regardless, the personal attacks on him have no place in this debate.

i find it almost impossible to have any respect for anyone who can use a public platform to write any words of support for someone as despicable as Ray Watts. Mr. Sher needs to go back and watch those videos and see if he has a conscious. Anyone who can watch those videos, listen to the stories of the players, fans, supporters, athletic faculty adviser and then feel any sympathy toward Ray Watts will get no respect from me. If Mr. Sher wants to write a history of the man Ray Watts fine, but if your going to comment on current events then you need to focus on the here and now. Those that hold the coats of others are just as wrong in my book.

(12-16-2014 08:33 AM)PTBlazer Wrote:  I don't know of anyone who has worked as tirelessly for the City of Birmingham as David Sher, and he has done so for the past 25 years, or as long as I've known him. David has been President of the Chamber of Commerce, has been Chairman of the Innovation Depot Board of Directors, and was a founding board member of the Entrepreneurial Center, which was the private sector business incubator which became the Innovation Depot. The Innovation Depot is a joint venture between the business community and UAB. He has worked closely with the city for the benefit of UAB for many years.

David started his blog to try and facilitate positive discussion for solutions and to highlight what is good about Birmingham.

David is as fine a guy as I know. He is an Alabama graduate (in full disclosure, I am a graduate of both UAB and UA) (does that make me half bad?). He has also done more to support and champion UAB than 99.999% of UAB graduates I can think of.

I don't agree with all of what David says, but I certainly respect his opinion. His actions over the past years have earned him that respect, especially as it relates to Birmingham and the support of UAB.

He is not a "bammer" an "idiot" or a "douche." You can say what you want on a message board (and a blog) but personal attacks on someone with a differing opinion does not reflect very well on the UAB community.

Okay, then evidently Sher is probably defending Watts because of his personal relations with the man or because he fell for Watts' previous public persona. That is the kindest explanation for Sher' views I can come up with and maybe he fell for the "Oh, the poor man, he had to make a difficult decision" routine. Okay fine, then how does Sher explain Watt's lies and disingenuous statements and his brutish PR behavior which alone disqualify him from leading a major educational institution such as UAB. If Sher has indeed read the columns and media reports, how does he just paper all of that over and continue defending the man without once mentioning that Watts might not be the man he believed him to be.

Let me give you an analogy. Let's say that you have a neighbor who you like. You have always known him to be a jovial, generous human being that you have been proud to call a friend. Then let's say that as a result of a police investigation all kind of evidence becomes public that the guy is a serial killer. Is it okay for you to publish articles on your blog praising all of your neighbor's good points and criticizing others for attacking him without even once acknowledging that your friend may have killed several people.

Now, I admit that my analogy is too extreme - Watts didn't kill anyone, though he certainly kill off the dreams of many. My point is that in Sher's effort to support Watts, he cannot knowingly disregard reality without expecting his views to be severely criticized and to have people question his judgement.

Sher writes in his latest worthless column on this matter that the Board of Trustees killed the programs and Watts is simply the "messenger." I don't totally disagree. But Sher's buddy Watts said himself that it was his decision and not the board's decision. So is Sher calling Watts a liar in his latest worthless column?

(12-16-2014 11:05 AM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  .

Okay, then evidently Sher is probably defending Watts because of his personal relations with the man or because he fell for Watts' previous public persona. That is the kindest explanation for Sher' views I can come up with and maybe he fell for the "Oh, the poor man, he had to make a difficult decision" routine. Okay fine, then how does Sher explain Watt's lies and disingenuous statements and his brutish PR behavior which alone disqualify him from leading a major educational institution such as UAB. If Sher has indeed read the columns and media reports, how does he just paper all of that over and continue defending the man without once mentioning that Watts might not be the man he believed him to be.

Let me give you an analogy. Let's say that you have a neighbor who you like. You have always known him to be a jovial, generous human being that you have been proud to call a friend. Then let's say that as a result of a police investigation all kind of evidence becomes public that the guy is a serial killer. Is it okay for you to publish articles on your blog praising all of your neighbor's good points and criticizing others for attacking him without even once acknowledging that your friend may have killed several people.

Now, I admit that my analogy is too extreme - Watts didn't kill anyone, though he certainly kill off the dreams of many. My point is that in Sher's effort to support Watts, he cannot knowingly disregard reality without expecting his views to be severely criticized and to have people question his judgement.
[/quote]

You're correct, I'd say that analogy is extreme. My overriding point is that different people can have different viewpoints. In this particularly instance, it is someone that I know well, and know to be someone a) of extremely high character, b) who has demonstrated support for Birmingham and UAB, and c) who has no axe to grind either way. So I felt moved to comment.

I really think that allowing intelligent discourse on the issue with room and acceptance for differing viewpoints is going to lead to a more meaningful dialogue than will happen by calling respected people in the community idiot and douche on message boards.

Yes, the rhetoric is extreme. On the other hand, you are coming to about the most partisan place you could find and defending someone who is defending the indefensible.

I'm certain that Watts has his good points. I don't know the man personally. I have, however, seen that video. Have you?

That said, I was standing outside the football offices when the players were officially told by their coaches that the program was being shut down. I saw them weeping in hurt and frustration. I was there when they came out after meeting with Watts, when they were weeping and red-faced with hurt and anger.

The Carr report was bilge. You cannot get me to believe that a professional consulting firm did an 11 month study of UAB athletics and produced 16 pages including the table of contents and footnotes. I want to know what was there besides what was lifted out of context as a fig leaf to do what Watts wanted to do, and did without consultation with the other interested parties.